This Time Around
by Diamond Gryphon
Summary: DISCONTINUED Sequel to TWISI. While Jazz and Sam are struggling to deal with his loss, Danny must complete a journey that he started years ago. The killer ghosts have to be stopped, but now the stakes just got a lot higher.
1. Chapter 1

DANNY PHANTOM: THIS TIME AROUND

DIAMOND GRYPHON

DATE: 3/5/07

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.

IMPORTANT!!! This is a sequel!!! You should read "The Way I See It" in order to understand the story!!! That is all.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"Jazz, are you okay?" Sam asked as she rushed over to the immobile woman and started to pick of the pieces of broken pottery that had scattered everywhere around her feet. "You should be more careful with . . ." She stopped talking when she realized that Jazz still hadn't moved.

"I think," Jazz said slowly, trancelike, "That you should probably go home now. Your parents will start to get worried."

"Oh, don't worry about that." Sam scoffed, dumping her load of pieces into the trash. "They don't care." Jazz still hadn't moved.

"I think," Jazz repeated in the same sort of far away voice, "That it is time for you to go home."

"Are you okay?" Sam walked over to stare Jazz in the eyes with concern. "You're acting really weird all of a sudden."

"No, I'm fine." Jazz seemed to snap out of her trance, blinking rapidly, only her strained voice betrayed that she was still shaken.

"It's just a plate." Sam kept eye contact with her, trying to figure out what was wrong. "It isn't that big of a deal."

"I'm sorry, but you really should go home." Jazz seemed very flustered about something, avoiding Sam's gaze. She started fidgeting and glancing nervously around. "I'll walk you out."

Before she could object, Sam found herself unceremoniously shoved out the door with only a quick 'goodbye.' She scowled. What was wrong with her? She shrugged it off; there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. Sam flipped open her cell phone to call her butler.

"Hey. Yeah, it's me. I need a ride home from Ms. Fenton's house."

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Sam spent most of the evening wondering what could possibly have worried Jazz so much, avoiding her parents, and trying to call Danny on his cell phone. At first, she had been concerned when she couldn't reach him. Then she remembered that Danny rarely used his phone, and probably had turned it off.

When her phone rang, and she jumped on it.

"Hello?" She asked hopefully. Maybe he had returned one of her calls. She was disappointed when he wasn't on the other end.

"Sam, it's Jazz." The woman's voice was slightly choked up, like she had been crying. "I called apologize for how I acted earlier, I was just surprised because I forgot about today."

"Today?" Sam asked, confused as to what could be so significant about the date. Danny hadn't mentioned anything.

"Yes." Jazz's voice was bittersweet; both wistful and sad at the same time. "An opportunity came up a while ago for Danny to visit his parents. Today was the day he caught his flight to Australia. I can't believe I forgot about it."

"He didn't tell me." Sam felt left out and lost. Why didn't her best friend trust her enough to even tell her he was leaving? Especially to as far away as Australia! "How long will he be gone?" She dreaded the answer, any day he wasn't there was too long. There was a pause before Jazz answered.

"I don't know." It was amazing how just those three simple words could strike terror into Sam's heart. "He could be back as soon as next week, but if all goes well he will end up staying there with his parents, permanently."

"Oh." Sam managed to get out before hanging up the phone and falling onto her bed. How could he do this to her? Danny was her first true friend, and now he had abandoned her. He hadn't even had the guts to tell her beforehand! A horrible feeling of anger and hurt built up inside her. Why did he leave?

Why?

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Sam trudged into school the next day weary and lonely, still feeling the full loss of her best friend. At first she barely noticed the whispers and the uncomfortable fidgeting.

Soon, however, the silence became deafening.

She looked around to see that even the most chatty kids sneaking nervous glances and keeping their mouths shut. Sam frowned, something major was going on. She tapped a nearby girl on the shoulder. The unfortunate person immediately whipped around in surprise, nearly dropping her books.

It reminded Sam of Danny at the dance.

She shoved the image from her mind and got back to the matter at hand. She didn't need to bring up painful memories now, of all times. The girl was still staring at her with wide, scared eyes, shivering slightly.

"I'm sorry that I scared you," Sam spoke softly, as not to disturb the profound silence in the halls. "But what is going on? Why is everyone so quiet?"

"Haven't you heard?" The girl glanced around, as if to see if anyone was listening. "Ms. Fenton came to school in tears this morning to say that she was taking the rest of the week off."

Sam blinked in surprise. **_That_** was what had the whole school so worried? A teacher taking a week off?

"Don't you get it?" The girl had obviously caught her confused look. "**_Ms. Fenton_** was **_crying_**."

Again the meaning of the statement was lost on the goth. The girl rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Ms. Fenton **_never_** cries." She explained patiently, as if to a small child. "And she **_never_** misses school. I even heard that the last time this happened was over fifteen years ago, when her brother disappeared."

That was news to Sam; she had never known that Jazz had a brother. It made sense in a weird, sad way though. She could understand the logic behind it.

Jazz had loved Danny as a relative; he left her. She had loved her brother as well, and had broken down when he left. Danny had brought all that old pain and emotion back up to the surface. Jazz was experiencing the loss of her brother all over again.

Sam's heart went out to her. She must be going through her own personal purgatory.

Now she had another reason to hate Danny.

* * *

I'm finally posting, are you proud of me? I've decided that I will finish what I start, 'cause I won't make that mistake twice (3 chapters of very original, badly witten junk don't ask). Don't you just love the irony in this chapter? Bet you're still wondering about what the heck happened to Danny, huh? That only comes next chapter. : P

I want to try and post Mentor and a couple of crossovers that are in progress, but it will take time since I'm still sick and am under a large writers block. By the by, for crossovers, how do people like Artemis Fowl and Stargate?

Updates Tuesdays, send Reviews!!

-Gryph


	2. Chapter 2

DANNY PHANTOM: THIS TIME AROUND

DIAMOND GRYPHON

DATE: 3/13/07

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Danny had followed the ghost back to its lair obediently, not wanting to incur the wrath of the powerful being. He was now deep in the Ghost Zone, vulnerable to anything this strange ghost wanted to do to him. He felt scared and uneasy.

"You are probably wondering why I brought you here." The ghost said, finally addressing him after an hour of silence.

Danny merely nodded in response.

"This is . . . rather hard for me." The ghost admitted, looking down uncomfortably, as if ashamed. "I brought you here . . . to apologize."

In ghost mode, Danny nearly fell out of the air. Apologize? He had been expecting an ambush, or at least a speech and threats, but this ghost only wanted to apologize? The ghost apparently caught his look of confusion and chuckled.

"I should probably make myself clearer." He admitted. "I apologize for your condition. You see, I'm the reason that you disappeared fifteen years ago."

"Then you know why I don't have any memories." Danny breathed, glad that he would finally get some answers.

"No."

"But you said . . ." The hybrid's sentence trailed off in confusion.

"Let me start from the beginning." The ghost offered. "It might help clarify some things."

Danny signaled for him to continue.

"There is a group of ghosts called the Ancients. Their job is to judge and remove any ghosts that were considered truly evil and dangerous to society. They all wielded immense power, each nullifying the other to provide balance. They meet once every hundred years to judge the next batch of ghosts.

"A few years after their last meeting, I noticed a disturbance on earth. It seemed that humans had finally acknowledged the existence of ghosts and had gone so far as to try to create weaponry to fight them. One pair had even created a successful doorway into the Ghost Zone."

"The Fentons." Danny stated, showing his understanding.

"Their inventions were not what worried me, however. I was more concerned about the powerful being brought into existence by their first attempt; the first hybrid, Vlad Plasmius.

"His power grew faster than anything I had ever seen, and I was concerned. I called for a Council of the Ancients, to discuss the issue and then waited. After the first few years, I was not concerned. Most of the Ancients had been dead for thousands of years, a century meant little to them. It was only after twenty years had passed and the second hybrid appeared that I started to wonder."

"Me." Muttered Danny, looking at his hands.

"Yes, you." The ghost nodded in agreement. "As the power of the hybrids continued to grow, I sent out another message to the Ancients. They didn't respond. So I decided to call in a favor." The ghost paused.

Danny noticed his hesitation and signaled for him to continue.

"I had helped you before." The ghost didn't' seem to like this particular part. "So I had asked that you would repay me by calling the Ancients to the Council in person. I never heard from you again."

"Oh." It was all he could say.

"But I did not bring you here just to apologize." The ghost continued, looking ashamed and avoiding Danny's eyes.

"No." Danny knew where this was going.

"I don't think you understand." The ghost rose up to it's full height, showing just how much authority and power it truly held. "You **_must_** go and call the Council again."

"Why? I couldn't do it the first time?" Danny challenged, trying to keep a brave face in front of the immensely powerful ghost.

"This time you are forewarned of the danger."

The hybrid looked skeptical.

"Also, if you do not complete this attempt successfully, your memories will not be the only thing lost. The human world will be overrun with killer ghosts." Danny winced; the ghost evidently knew his soft spot. "The reason that the ghosts are there at all is a fault of the Council."

Danny turned this new information over in his head. It didn't take long for him to make his decision.

"Two questions; who are you, and what do I have to do?"

The ghost smiled warmly at his compliance.

"My name is Clockwork, and this is what you must do . . ."

* * *

Show of hands, who say that coming? The chapters will alternate between focussing on the Homefront and on the Ghost Zone. I'm sorry for the lengths of these chapters, I will try to make the next one longer. For once I don't have anything else to say.

Updates Tuesdays, Please send reviews!

-Gryph


	3. Chapter 3

DANNY PHANTOM: THIS TIME AROUND

DIAMOND GRYPHON

DATE: 5/1/07

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Sam Manson had gone from the stage of depression, to anger, and back again several times during the week after Danny's disappearance. Currently she was back in the anger faze.

The goth was storming down the sidewalk on her way home from school. She didn't look at the uniform houses that surrounded her, choosing instead to keep her eyes firmly fixed on the ground in front of her feet. This caused her to bump into just about everyone on the way, but she didn't care. Anyone who had a problem with her usually refrained from confronting her when they saw her scowl.

Being a goth had it's advantages.

Sam didn't notice anything was wrong for a while. The only thing that changed was a growing amount of whispers the further she progressed. It was nothing, she hadn't dealt with before. Girls at school were always talking in class, she had learned to tune it out.

It was when the whispers turned to frantic conversations and calls that Sam realized that they weren't talking about her. She paused, looking up for the first time to try and figure out what people were talking about.

"A few blocks from here . . ."

"People are terrified!"

"My husband went to help . . ."

"Where are the Fentons?"

"Too far away. They can't get here in time!"

"But the ghost . . ."

That was all Sam needed to hear. There was another attack in progress. If she got there in time, Phantom would still be there.

She immediately started jogging in the direction that the most desperate shouts seemed to come from. As she went, Sam noticed the crowd becoming thicker and more panicked. Eventually, she had to slow her pace and shove through the crowd to make any headway.

Sam finally emerged from the throng of people to find herself in front of a small store that was surrounded by police and warning tape. It didn't take her long to find out what was going on.

Outside of the store was a soldier. He was holding his position just outside of the door, guarding it from intruders. He had his large automatic firearm at the ready, almost daring anyone to try and enter.

He didn't seem to care that blood stains blossomed on his chest like a rose.

Sam took a few more steps forward to get a closer look. She was only about a hundred feet from the ghost.

"Miss, you need to stay back." A police officer walked up to her, squarely blocking her view of the building. "This is not a safe place for children."

"What's going on?" Sam craned her neck to try and see past the officer but only succeeded in pulling a muscle.

"Hostage situation." He grunted, indicating the store behind him. "That ghost has about ten people in the shop. We've been trying to get them out for over an hour."

"Over an hour!" Phantom was extremely quick on getting to the scene, if the last two attacks were any indication. He should have shown up already.

"Yeah, now could you please get back behind the tape with everyone else?" The man seemed to be getting annoyed with her.

"Can't you just trap him in a Fenton invention?" Sam didn't see what the problem was; ghosts had been attacking the town for years. How was this any different? The cop shifted nervously.

"This is the first time we've had to deal with such a recently dead ghost." He glanced back at the ghost nervously before continuing. "It's had to fight something that can shoot us, while we can't shoot it. Our guns are useless and he could hurt the hostages before we get any anti-ghost weapons locked on him."

Sam mulled this over, slowly turning the information over in her head. The policeman seemed to snap out of it and realize that he wasn't doing his job.

"Miss, you really need to get back behind the tape. Let the adults deal with this."

Sam complied, scowling. She hated being treated like a little kid. She was going to prove him wrong; _she_ would deal with it. If Phantom, the cops, and the Fentons wouldn't help, she would.

Still fueled by the anger at her so called 'friend', Sam worked her way through the crowd. She slowly made her way to her target, the alley next to the shop. She noticed with relief that it wasn't taped off. There was no door from it to the shop.

That wouldn't stop a _**Manson**_ of course.

Sam smirked, checked to see in she could be seen from the street and reached for her belt. Money had its privileges. Top secret government inventions were definitely one of them. Her parents would kill if they knew that the device that they had brought from the GIW to protect her would actually be taking her deeper into danger.

Irony is beautiful.

Flipping a switch, Sam calmly walked straight through the offending wall. Intangibility belts were still in the prototype stage, she dismissed the jittery feeling in her stomach to the vibrating of the machine. The feeling persisted however, even after she turned off the belt.

So what if what she was planning to do was both stupid and dangerous? She would be fine, right?

Sam pulled a ghost capture device from her pocket and calmly walked toward the door to the outside. She walked with confidence, seemingly unaffected by the utter foolishness of her own plan.

Inside she was screaming and running as far away as possible.

The hostages were huddled in a corner, staring at her with wide eyes. Sam quickly motioned for them to be quiet. They nodded dumbly in response.

She slowly made her way towards the entrance of the store, picking her way around the disturbed displays and scattered merchandise. When she finally reached the door, Sam paused. Taking several deep breaths to try to calm herself down, she checked to make sure her capture device was ready.

She was an idiot. She knew that. Too late to back down now.

All at once she opened the door and activated the device. She missed the ghost by a mile.

Sam was lucky that the device had a wide beam.

The soldier only had time to scream a few well-chosen expletives before he became a hostage to the latest Fenton gadget.

Sam first thought was 'Yes! I got him' and she fell to her knees in relief. She was glad that she hadn't ended up dead. Her next thought came as the police rushed forward to get the hostages and question her.

'My parents are going to kill me.'

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Ok, I'm **_reallly, really_** sorry for the lack of updates. I spent a couple of weeks in a third world country and then I had my hands full working on all sorts of crossovers(Artemis/DP and Stargate SG-1/DP). Expect me to post them sometime soon in pennence for my lack of postings. 

Updates Tuesdays (hopefully), and PLEASE REVIEW!!!

-Gryph


	4. Chapter 4

DANNY PHANTOM: THIS TIME AROUND

DIAMOND GRYPHON

DATE: 5/22/07

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom.

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**Chapter 4**

Danny floated through the vast expanse of the Ghost Zone. He was on his first leg of the trip, and was constantly checking the area for any sign of danger. As he did so, he mulled over what Clockwork had told him.

First, he had to find the ancient called Claustro. He was the one that would be the most helpful, since his talent was to take evil spirits and seal them away. If Danny could find him, the killer ghosts wouldn't be a threat to Amity Park anymore.

The next stop after that was Faberan, the second oldest ancient, right behind Clockwork. Supposedly, he could mold the very ectoplasm in ghosts to create anything.

Then there was . . .

Danny's thoughts were abruptly halted as he came upon the lair of Claustro. Or at least, what was left of it.

It was a castle, bigger than both Vlad's and Pariah's combined. The lair would have been the most impressive building that Danny had ever seen, if it hadn't been reduced to a pile of ruins.

The walls were mostly collapsed, already half overgrown with strangely colored moss and grass. The once strong and imposing wood doors were reduced to two sets of splinters on rusted hinges.

Danny shivered in apprehension; it didn't look like anyone was home. Cautiously, he floated through the doorway. He hoped that this place wasn't haunted.

. . . at least by anyone other than Claustro.

As he slowly ventured through the ruined entrance hall, Danny noted the rotting furniture and tapestries with awe. This castle must have been _**horribly**_ expensive; all of the dilapidated piles of wood showed signs of ornate carvings and intricate gold leaf. As antiques, they must have worth fortunes.

Of course, in a ghost's lair, especially one as old as Claustro's, everything would be an antique.

After passing through a series of (relatively) empty rooms, Danny started noticing signs of a fight. Furniture was destroyed and burn marks started appearing at random intervals. The farther in he went, the greater the damage seemed to become, eventually working up to giant holes in the walls and entire rooms disappearing into rubble.

"Woah, it must have been _**some**_ fight." He muttered as he had to go intangible to make it into the next room. He was thinking about turning around and going back to tell Clockwork.

Then he had a look around the newest room.

The room looked like it was supposed to be the great hall of the castle. The ruins of long tables lay scattered everywhere. Probably because of the fight, most of the ceiling was destroyed, leaving an unobstructed view of the Ghost Zone. However, Danny barely registered any of this as he stared in horror at the _**thing**_ in the center of the room.

It used to be a ghost, that was as much as Danny could deduce from it. Now, however, it bared more resemblance to a oozing scab. It was a pile of ectoplasm, so old that most of the green had seeped out into the floor, staining it a sickening color. The substance that was left had hardened into a large black mass, full of bumps and cracks, looking for all the world like clotted blood.

Sticking out of this mass was a staff, similar to the one Clockwork used. The bottom was made to look like a giant key, while the top resembled a lock. The sight of the item confirmed Danny's worst fears.

This was the _**final**_ final resting place of Claustro.

Danny felt another chill go down his spine and fought back a wave of nausea. The thing was a warning, a threat. Someone had deliberately left it there to say that they were powerful, they were smart, and they were willing to kill.

"Who are you, and why do you wander the halls of the twice dead?" An unfamiliar voice demanded from behind him.

Danny spun around in panic; a female ghost stood before him, draped in rich garments, looking like a queen. She had an air of absolute authority about her that made him quail in her presence.

"I . . ." He couldn't seem to get the words out through his shock and fear. "Clockwork sent . . ."

"Oh." She said coolly, looking him up and down. "You're the messenger. I'm sorry about what happened to you last time; such a dreadful thing to happen to someone as young as you."

"What!" Danny was immediately alert. "You know what happened?"

The ghost gave him a curt nod, as if she was deeming him worthy. She then gave a soft sigh of frustration and turned to leave.

"It's a long story. Come with me."

Danny did so obediently, suppressing the overwhelming feeling of deja vu as he followed yet another strange ghost back to its lair.

* * *

Finally, you will get to hear about how he lost his memory, as well as a short fluff scene with Sam. Stay tuned for the next exciting instalment!

Yes, I will post the crossovers as soon as my betas give do something with them. Speaking of betas, I'm in the market for some new ones.Anyone care to volunteer?

Updating on Tuesdays. (Does anyone actually want to read crossovers or what?-REVIEW!!!)

-Gryph


	5. Chapter 5

DANNY PHANTOM: THIS TIME AROUND

DIAMOND GRYPHON

DATE: 7/10/07

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom. (feels sense of repetitiveness)

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"My name is Sonadora, and I am one of the Ancients." The regal ghost explained as she quickly led the way to her castle. Danny had to fly hard to keep up with her, but she seemed to be perfectly comfortable with the breakneck pace. "We must hurry back to my lair before _**he**_ finds us."

"He?" Danny asked in confusion, not understanding the emphasis on the word. Who in the ghost zone could make an _Ancient_ feel nervous?

"You don't need to know about _**him**_ yet, you have other things to worry about." Sonadora led him swiftly into one of the inner rooms. "As long as we stay in my lair, _**he**_ won't bother us."

"What is going on? I don't understand." Danny was confused and frustrated. He was tired of being dragged around by other ghosts. He wanted some information.

"It doesn't matter." The Ancient brushed away his concerns with a wave of her hand. "All you need to know is this; with Claustro gone, we need another way of sealing the ghosts. A way that will permanently keep them from doing harm. We do not excel in new ideas, we prefer old traditions, but the traditions are being broken and we find ourselves lost."

"We, meaning . . .?"

"Ghosts, in general, Ancients, specifically. There has not been a disturbance in our routine for millennia." Sonadora seemed impatient and started floating over to a large mirror at the end of the room. "Quickly we don't have much time!"

"Time for what?" Danny was still as confused as ever. He wished he had just stayed at home and had never followed Clockwork. Being with Sam would be really nice right about now. She would know what to do with this mess.

"I have the power to enter dreams." She said completely ignoring his question. She proudly showed him her staff that was shaped like a large scepter, complete with gold and jewels. "You must enter the dreams of someone you trust and relay this problem to them. Surely you have allies who are capable of solving such a dilemma?"

"Yes," Danny said cautiously, not sure of her reasoning. "But why can't I just do it? I mean, it's not like I have anything better to do."

Sonadora's eyes flashed with annoyance. "You don't understand. You have to deal with _him_. These 'killer ghosts' are not the real problem. I only ask that you call on a friend so that you may save your _own_ city. I do it as a favor to you, nothing else."

"Why should I?" Danny was finally starting to get angry. Why should he just let himself play messenger boy to every ghost who asked? "I'm not even a full ghost! I shouldn't have to deal with your problems! I could take care of the ghosts in Amity Park by myself and just leave you to your petty Ancient problems!"

"Fool!" She growled, her hands filling with charged ectoblasts. "You have only seen the tip of the iceberg. By the end of the month, Amity Park will be overwhelmed by ghosts who have no inhibitions about murdering innocents. By the end of the year, every undead creature with a vendetta will be roaming the mortal realm freely, and all because _you_ failed to honor your duty and stop the madman who created this mess!"

Danny cringed under the Ancient's rant. He hadn't even considered the consequences. He hadn't considered that the two problems were that intertwined. He hadn't considered what a vital role he played.

And the whole world might have paid the price for it.

"I'll go."

"Good." Sonadora relaxed, letting the ghostly energy evaporate into the air. She gestured toward the mirror that they were standing beside and it immediately revealed a strange purple void. "You can use this mirror to enter directly into anyone's dreams. Which of your allies do you choose?"

It only took Danny a few seconds to make his choice.

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Sam dreamt she was flying.

In her dream, she soared far above the city of Amity Park. The darkened buildings and quiet streets gave the scene a feeling of tranquility. Bright, twinkling stars made her feel more alive than she ever had before. She embraced the air as she did loops and twirls in the night sky.

Sam was completely at ease. Why shouldn't she be? Everything was right with the world here. Everything was as calm and happy as she was. None of her trouble meant anything in this place. Lazily, she flew a back flip and let out a sight of contentment.

"Sam?"

Calmly, she turned toward the familiar voice, not slowing down her flight. Phantom was behind her, speeding to pull up beside her. Sam noted the anxiousness and worry that etched his face. Why was he upset? Everything was perfect and joyful.

"Sam, I need to tell you something." He looked Sam straight in the eyes with his solemn stare. It unnerved her, and she glanced away quickly.

"Everything's fine, Phantom." She told him, partially trying to convince herself. "So stop looking like the world is going to end."

"It just might, Sam, so I need you to help me." His voice was pleading with her to listen, to lend him a hand. She ignored it.

"No." Sam stated flatly, turning her flight downward as she made a nosedive for the ground. She heard Phantom utter a gasp of fear as she plummeted, at breakneck speeds, closer to the earth. Good, she thought, let _him_ be afraid for once.

At the last second, she quickly ground to a halt, turning upright to land lightly on her feet. Sam had landed in the middle of the park and she quickly went to sit on the edge of the fountain. She dangled her feet into the crystal water as she waited for Phantom to catch up to her.

Sure enough, he showed up a minute later, panting for breath after his downward plummet. He landed shakily on the ground, placing his hands on his knees to steady them.

"Sam," He continued between gasps, "This is serious; I really need your help."

"Okay, you want serious?" Her voice turned from soft to a harsh accusation in the blink of an eye. "I'll give you serious."

Phantom started to get a little afraid as the peaceful park scene shifted to match its creator's mood. The fountain started spouting a liquid that reminded him decidedly of blood and the light gray concrete turned a foreboding obsidian. Even the grass withered to a dull, lifeless brown.

Sam stood in the middle of this darkened landscape like the avenging angel herself, causing Phantom to shiver in apprehension. He didn't know what was going on, or what she intended to do.

"You abandoned us." She hissed, anger and betrayal clear in her voice as she glared down at him like a bug under a microscope. "You abandoned the town when we needed you most. Only just a couple of days ago, ten people were held hostage by a ghost with a machine gun."

"Oh, no." Phantom breathed, paling at both the implications of what she said, and the ferocity with witch she said it. "I didn't mean . . . This wasn't supposed to . . ."

"Why did you leave?" Sam yelled, her anger causing the sky to darken with storm clouds. Thunder rumbled in the distance as she made her way towards him. Her scowl caused him to crouch down defensively. "You don't care about this town! You don't care about the people of Amity Park! And most of all, you don't care about _**me**_!"

Accompanying her last words, a bolt of lightning shot down and struck the ground just to the right of Phantom, leaving a giant crater. For the first time, Phantom's expression was a mask of fear.

"Please, listen to me." He pleaded, his voice barely audible over the roaring wind and the constant thunder of the unnatural storm.

"NO!" Sam's shout drowned out all the thunder as it resonated throughout the landscape. Phantom winced. "Everything was perfect until you showed up! You ruined everything!"

Phantom tried to say something but his voice was caught up in the storm. Sam's face darkened even more as she saw his futile attempts to prove his innocence. The night had started out so well. Why couldn't he see that he had only made things worse?

"Leave my dream." She hissed, her voice still managing to deafen her listener and drown out the noise of the storm. "Go away; don't come back. I never want to see you again."

With that, Sam turned her back and marched off, leaving the stunned _ghost_ on the ground behind her. She let the winds and thunder subside, causing the park to become eerily silent. She was just about to take off to continue her flight where she left off when she heard Phantom pant one last exhausted statement.

"If you don't help, everyone in Amity Park will die."

* * *

I'm sorry about the irregular update schedule, I'm trying to work on that. Also, have you seen my DP/ Stargate SG-1 crossover, Bloodstained Hands? Please read it and tell me what you think. In fact, it would be cool if you told me what you think of this story too, SO REVIEW PLEASE!!!

I'm done now.

-Gryph


	6. Chapter 6

DANNY PHANTOM: THIS TIME AROUND

DIAMOND GRYPHON

DATE: 7/22/07

Disclaimer: I don't own Danny Phantom, or Jazz, or Sam, or Amity Park, or . . .

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Sonadora watched curiously as Danny Phantom pulled himself from her dream mirror. His hair was disheveled, and he appeared to be both frustrated and exhausted.

"Did your ally receive the message?"

"I think so." He muttered, slumping down into a nearby chair. "She seemed pretty out of it though."

She smiled at his innocent comment. "Most people are in their dreams. While asleep, they have little sense of reality."

Danny sighed. "I just hope she trusts me."

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Why did she trust Phantom?

I mean, besides the obvious fact that he had saved her life twice, what reason did she have to believe that he was good? He was a ghost for crying out loud!

Sam shook her head to clear out the prejudiced thoughts and continued her walk down the street. She was nearing her destination and she needed to make up her mind before then.

If she trusted him, than the worst that could happen was that she played right into his hands and his plot would come to completion (if he even had a plot). If she ignored him, worst case scenario was that Amity Park, and possibly the whole world would be destroyed.

Trusting him seemed like the best option, and if Sam was really honest with herself, she really did trust him. Now all she needed to do was to figure out how to help him.

And for that she needed help.

Sam had told him that in her dream (how did she even know the dream was real, anyway?) and he had told her something that had caused her to nearly fall over in shock.

"Jazz Fenton." Phantom said. "You can ask her for help."

From that point on, Sam had tried to explain that if she mentioned him to Ms. Fenton that he would be hunted mercilessly.

And even if she thought he was crazy for asking for a Fenton, she didn't want to see him hunted.

Her objections, however, fell on deaf ears. He insisted that she go to Ms. Fenton. All she needed to do was to mention his name, Phantom claimed, and Ms. Fenton would provide all the help she needed.

At first Sam had outright refused. Did he want to get himself destroyed? Phantom stood by his statement, and assured her that it would be fine, even if he didn't explain his reasoning.

Sam gave in eventually, and as soon as she did, he vanished from her dream. The first thing she had done after waking up was to start walking to Ms. Fenton's house. Which was where she found herself now, facing the doors that led to one of the greatest ghost hunters in town. The irony of who sent her here was not lost on her.

After ringing the doorbell several times, the door finally opened to reveal the scariest sight that Sam had ever seen.

It was Ms. Fenton, or at least, Sam assumed it was her. She couldn't quite tell with the mat of orange hair frizzed everywhere and the usually immaculate clothing in total disarray.

And if all of that wasn't bad enough, her face was absolutely heartbreaking. Ms. Fenton's features were screwed up in a mask of something between defeat and despair. Her makeup was smeared down her cheeks by what must have been buckets of tears. This was further evidenced by her eyes, which were puffy and red.

"Oh, Sam." She croaked, her voice hoarse from sobbing. "What do you want?"

"I . . ." Sam nearly choked on her words at seeing the teacher's appearance. She quickly tried to regain her composure. "Ms. Fenton, can I come in? I need your help."

"If this is about ghosts, there are plenty of other ghost hunters that are a lot better than I am." Ms. Fenton looked completely worn out. "And, as you can see, I'm not in any shape to help anyone."

It was now or never, Sam had to take the chance that this would work. "Phantom specifically asked that I talked to you."

"Phantom?" Jazz mouthed in disbelief, her breath catching in her throat. "He contacted you?"

"Yes." Sam replied cautiously, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"Come inside." Ms. Fenton said, opening the door wide for the first time. "Make yourself at home. Do you need to tell me now, or can it wait for ten minutes?"

"It can wait, I guess." Sam stepped into the house still uncertain as to what the ghost hunter was going to do. "Why?"

For the first time since Danny left, as spark showed in Jazz's eyes. "I'm going to go get ready." With that, she raced up the stairs wearing a silly grin. Sam could barely hear her last joyful exclamation.

"He's back!"

* * *

I'm trying to get back on a regular schedule, so hopefully this will update every Friday. I just saw the movie TRANSFORMERS and I want to do a crossover with SG-1. Anyway, review please.

-Gryph


	7. Chapter 7

DANNY PHANTOM: THIS TIME AROUND

DIAMOND GRYPHON

DATE: 7/4/08

DISCLAIMER: I never owned, do not currently own, and will not own Danny Phantom or any of its characters. Really.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Sonadora had quickly ushered Danny into a room deeper in her lair. "Now it is time that I told you, and I don't wish for _**him**_ to overhear."

Danny sighed, but let the vague statement pass. She had promised to explain, after all.

Sonadora hovered in the middle of the room, her ghostly tail flickering back and forth nervously. Danny sat down on the ever-present cushions and waited for her to start.

"You know that one of the Ancients, Claustro, has passed on." She began. "What I have not yet told you is who is responsible. It takes a very powerful ghost to destroy an Ancient. In fact, it is almost impossible for them to be destroyed by anything other than another Ancient."

Sonadora shuddered involuntarily.

"Mortan's job was to destroy the ghosts that the Council decided were too violent even to be locked up. We rarely called on him, we felt it was too cruel to destroy ghosts entirely. He eventually declared that we had become too merciful and decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Claustro tried to stop him, but you saw how well he fared with that."

Danny nodded, nearly retching at the thought of what was left of the Ancient.

"After he killed Claustro, Mortan stole his ectoplasm to power up himself. Around that time, Clockwork sent you to gather the Ancients. You went to Mortan first, and he saw it as his great opportunity."

Knowing that she was talking about the visit that caused him to lose his memory, Danny paid rapt attention.

"Do you know what ectoplasm is made from?"

He shook his head.

"It is made from two things. One is the memories of humans; the other is fellings and thoughts. The reason, young Halfa, that you are so powerful is that your human form is constantly experiencing and feeling new sensations and creating new memories. The rest of the ghosts must rely on the energy of the Ghost Zone or the fear of humans, they cannot generate their own."

Danny thought that over for a minute. "You said memories . . ."

"Yes, Mortan decided to use you as a battery. He drained you of your memories and feelings. Feelings you can recreate, memories you cannot. He decided to keep you for a while, 15 years, in order to bleed as much as he could out of you."

15 years as a living battery? Danny winced. He was glad he didn't remember _**that**_. "So why did he let me go?"

Sonadora blinked in surprise at the question. "I do not know. It could be because he felt that he had gained all he could from you or he might have found it inconvenient to keep you in storage for so long. I do not presume to understand how his twisted mind works."

Danny merely shrugged. The answer wouldn't have helped that much anyway. "How did you learn about what happened to me? Clockwork didn't even know and he claims to know everything."

A smile formed at the corner of her mouth. "I commend you for your excellent questions. I have acquired this information from a very reliable source.

"Mortan was not merely in charge of destroying evil ghosts, but also supervised the deaths of those in the human realm."

"So he's the Grim Reaper?" Danny cocked his head. "The myths had to come from somewhere I guess."

"Not quite. While he does carry a scythe, he could more aptly be described as the ruler of all Reapers. He did not participate in the releasing of human souls. He just supervised the many who did."

"You're using the past tense."

"Indeed. The Reapers, or more accurately Collectors, under his command were not happy with Mortan's murder of his fellow Ancient. They continue to do their job, but no longer report to him. Collectors are elusive creatures at the best of times, but I managed to contact one of them to gather the information I have since relayed to you."

"I see." He processed the information for couple of minutes. The Ancient waited, but started to twirl her scepter impatiently. After scanning his brain for more questions, Danny realized he was only delaying the inevitable. "What's my role in this?"

"You must travel back to Clockwork and inform him of Mortan's betrayal. He has gained too much power to be defeated by any one of us alone. We must gather what remains of the Council to stop him. I will gather Faberan and meet you at the Clockwork's tower. Together, the three of us should be able to formulate a plan."

"So all I have to do is play messenger boy again?"

Sonadora smiled, showing off her long canines. "We will take care of Mortan on our own. After that you may go back to defending your precious city."

Danny stood up from the cushions and stretched. "When should I leave?"

* * *

Happy Independence Day! I'm really sorry that you guys had to wait almost a whole year for me to get my butt in gear and actually finish this chapter. I've got the whole summer ahead of me and plan to be taking advantage of that. Expect more frequent updates and some more interesting scenes as the story works towards the climax. I'm sorry about how short this is, but I really had to stretch to even get it this long. I'll try harder next time.

As always, I really love reviews.

-Gryph


	8. Chapter 8

DANNY PHANTOM: THIS TIME AROUND

DIAMOND GRYPHON

DATE: 9/6/08

DISCLAIMER: I do not own DP. I do not own DP. I do not own DP. . . yet.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

It took Ms. Fenton nearly a half an hour to make herself presentable and come back downstairs.

Sam spent the entire 30 minutes trying to figure out exactly what she had said that would have caused Ms. Fenton to be happy. Apparently, Phantom hadn't been lying when he said that his name would count for something. What that something was, however, Sam wasn't quite sure.

So she was still wracking her brain for something that would tell her what was going on when Ms. Fenton skipped down the stairs.

"I'm sorry that I took so long." There was a smile on her face, even if her words still wavered uncertainly. "I haven't had breakfast yet, would you like anything to eat? We have a couple of apples, some oranges. . "

Blinking her way out of her stupor, Sam stood up and the other woman into the kitchen. "An apple is good. Um, how come you're . . ? I mean, aren't you . . . ?"

An apple was placed in her hand and Sam looked at it for a few seconds before turning to watch Ms. Fenton prepare herself a breakfast out of less vegetarian-friendly foods.

"Why aren't I grabbing the nearest Thermos and demanding to know where the ghost is?"

"Yeah." Sam nibbled on the apple and slumped into the nearest chair. "Something like that."

"Hmmmm." Ms. Fenton absently flipped the omelet. Sam gagged. "I guess you could say that Phantom and I have a sort of understanding. He's saved my life more times than I can count. I trust him, and if he got you involved than you probably do too." She paused, turning to give Sam a look. "You do trust him, right?"

A sigh. "I don't know. I mean, I did, but then he didn't show up for the whole hostage thing and I thought he had abandoned the town and then he shows up in my dream and I just got so angry and then he says he needs me to save Amity and then nothing really made sense and he told me to come see you and . . ."

Sam stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She brought her arm up and wiped away the tears that threatened to run down her face.

"Slow down." Ms. Fenton made sure Sam was okay before joining her at the table. "Now, how about we start from the beginning? You said something about a dream."

"Last night, I had a dream about Phantom." She took a deep breath. "I don't think it was a normal dream because I can remember it perfectly and he was talking about stuff I had never heard of before."

"Sounds like something a ghost could do."

Sam sat up straight. "Can Phantom . . .?"

"No, but he has an odd habit of making the strangest friends." Ms. Fenton smiled, lost in thought. "If it was another ghost just trying to trick you, I doubt they would claim to need help from me."

"I guess." Sam didn't seem convinced. "He said that he needed me to deal with the new killer ghosts because he was doing something else and wouldn't be back for a while."

"So, all he said was to keep the ghosts from killing?"

"No, he said some other stuff." The apple suddenly became very interesting. "I'm not quite sure what he meant, but . . ."

Sam looked up at Ms. Fenton, who nodded for her to continue.

"He said the reason that the ghosts were in the human world was because some ghosts called the Ancients weren't doing their job. Apparently, one of them was destroyed and that upset the balance of something in the ghost zone." She frowned. "How can a ghost moving on cause killer ghosts to show up here?"

Ms. Fenton didn't have an answer to that. "After breakfast we can look in the library and see if there is anything on the Ancients. That should give us a better idea of what we're dealing with."

The rest of breakfast was spent in silence as both women dealt with their own thoughts. Ms. Fenton finished first and headed upstairs. Throwing away her barely touched apple, Sam followed her.

The room she entered was filled with dust that nearly made her choke. Ms. Fenton was busy pulling old tomes from their locations on the large shelves on the walls. Sam just stared as the pile of books on the table in front of her continued to grow.

Ms. Fenton slowed down her searching before dropping the last load of books onto the pile. "Well, these are all the books we have on ghost legends and traditions. I'm hoping one of them will have what we need."

Sam eyed the stack dubiously, then sighed. She grabbed one of the least dusty volumes and collapsed in one of the large arm chairs. Ms. Fenton took another book and followed her example.

The rustling of pages filled the library until Sam slammed her book closed in disgust. The other woman looked up in surprise.

"It doesn't have what we're looking for."

Ms. Fenton nodded and went back to her book. Looking over the remaining pile, Sam made a face. "One down, fifty more to go." She reached for another book.

_Ding, dong._

They both spooked as the unexpected sound rang through the house. Ms. Fenton was about to get up but Sam stopped her.

"I'll get it. You focus on finding some information."

Sam trotted down the stair and made it to the doorbell started to ring for the seventh time. She opened it wide. "What is your problem? I was coming as fast as I could."

Tucker stood outside the door looking slightly taken aback. "Sam?"

"Yeah, it's me." A pause. "Do you need something?"

Tucker stared at his feet. "Um, I was wondering if Ms. Fenton was okay. I mean, she wasn't at school . . ."

Sam frowned. She had almost forgotten about Danny's trip to Australia and the pain it caused for his guardian. "She's fine."

"Oh." Tucker shuffled his feet. "I guess I should be going then." As he turned to leave, he pulled out his PDA and started pressing buttons. A light bulb went off for Sam.

"Hey, Tucker?"

He stopped to look back. "Yeah?"

"You're pretty good with computers, right?"

"I'm not just 'pretty good', I happen to be a genius." Tucker puffed out his chest. "What do you need?"

An evil grin appeared on Sam's face. "I was wondering if you were any good with searching for obscure information."

"Of course! I can find anything you need on the internet. The trick is knowing the right sites and . . ." Tucker was cut off as he was yanked into the house with the door hurriedly shut behind him.

"Sam! Slow down! What are you doing? Sam!"

* * *

I have no idea where Tucker came from. My plan was to never have him show up again, ever. Somehow he managed to pop up in this chapter and now I have to keep him in till the climax. Don't you have when characters have a mind of their own?

More reviews means I update quicker.

-Gryph


	9. Chapter 9

DANNY PHANTOM: THIS TIME AROUND

DIAMOND GRYPHON

DATE: 1/10/09

DISCLAIMER: How I wish, I wish, I wish I owned Danny. But I don't. *sigh*

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Ms. Fenton had been rather surprised when Sam had dragged Tucker into the study, asking politely to use a computer over his confused protests. She hadn't questioned the request, however, and instead led them down to the basement, where a set of computer screens filled up an entire wall.

Needless to say, Tucker's protests had been cut short and he had started drooling.

"I've died and gone to heaven." He whispered reverently as he lowered himself into the chair and ran his hands over the keyboard and mouse.

"Let's hope not." Sam scowled, but it was half-hearted. Her gaze lingered over the rest of the basement. There was a vault door that led off to a room filled with weaponry. The side of the room across from the computer was filled with counters and test tubes, apparently used as some sort of a lab. But what really caught her attention was the half of the large room that was the furthest from the stairs, which was separated by a reinforced wall of large bulletproof windows. The area beyond had metal panels covering the walls, floor, and ceiling. It was completely barren and pristine, except for the burn marks scattered across the various surfaces.

Ms. Fenton noticed Sam's gaze. "That's the training room. It's used for practicing with ghost weaponry without blowing up the house. The entire basement is actually designed by my parents to be a center for ghost hunters. They apparently didn't understand that I'm quite happy with psychology."

Sam pointed to the numerous burn marks. "Well, someone's been using the room."

"I do like to practice with ghost weaponry occasionally. I don't want to be caught flatfooted during an attack." Ms. Fenton explained before turning her attention to Tucker, who was still admiring the computer. "Besides, Danny is the one who's really been using the room lately. He's been rather obsessed with it, actually."

Sam started at the offhand statement. Danny practiced with ghost weaponry? He hadn't mentioned anything about that. But then again, she thought bitterly, he hadn't bothered to mention that he was leaving the country either.

"So, what exactly did you want me for again?" Tucker finally got over his awe of the machine and spoke up.

Ms. Fenton looked at Sam quizzically. "I'm not really sure . . ."

"We need to find information about a bunch of ghosts called the Ancients. Preferably who they are and why the heck they're so important."

Tucker cracked his knuckles dramatically. "That, I can do. Do you have any more details?"

"I know a couple of names." Sam admitted. "Claustro and Sonadora. And I think there's five ghosts total."

Tucker's fingers flew across the keyboard as screens were pulled up, scanned, and dismissed in short order. "What do you need this for anyway? Some sort of school project?"

"Not exactly." Ms. Fenton sighed. "We have reason to believe that the Ancients have something to do with the latest round of ghost attacks."

"You mean the killer ghosts." Tucker frowned. Two more websites were opened, quickly searched, and closed. Tables of words rolled past on the screen as he brought up a database. "I though you weren't a ghost hunter."

"Not normally, but I'm making an exception for . . . a friend."

Sam glanced at the older woman. Did she really consider Phantom a friend? Or was she just saying that because of Tucker? The more time she spent with Ms. Fenton the less she felt that she knew about this whole situation, especially Phantom. She really wished that people would stop keeping secrets from her. How the heck was she supposed to help when they didn't give her all the information?

"I think I've got something!"Tucker's shout pulled Sam out of her musings as she and Ms. Fenton crowded around the screen. On it was an image of five shadowy figures, followed by what looked like a twenty page essay.

"Wow." Sam eyed the length of what was written as Tucker printed out the webpage. Instead of hovering around the screen, Ms. Fenton went over to the printer to look over the paper copy. "Whoever wrote this had too much free time on their hands."

"It's a thesis written by some college senior." Taking the mouse, Tucker highlighted a name in small font at the bottom of the page. "Someone named Vladimir Masters."

Ms. Fenton gasped. Sam looked over to find the older woman looking rather pale. "Let me guess, you know him?"

It figured that she would have heard of the man; there couldn't be that many ghost-obsessed people in the world. And she was definitely a Fenton, after all.

"You could say that." Ms. Fenton replied cautiously. "My parents went to college with him. They were actually pretty close but . . . he isn't exactly a nice person anymore."

"Can we trust him to know his stuff?"

"Yes." She admitted, skimming over the essay that was still coming out of the printer. "He definitely knows a thing or two about ghosts."

"Then this is exactly what you guys were looking for, so I'm out of here." Tucker stood up out of the chair to leave, but was immediately pushed back in by Sam.

"Not so fast. Now comes the hard part, and having a third brain would probably help."

Tucker groaned, but didn't otherwise protest.

Ms. Fenton turned to Sam. "So what did Phantom say that he needed you to do?"

"Well, apparently Claustro is gone, destroyed somehow. He was the one who should have been sealing away the killer ghosts. We have to find a way to do the sealing without him."

"Um, I'm a little lost." Tucker scratched his head and looked sheepish. "What's going on here?"

The two females ignored him.

"So we have four Ancients and we have to figure out a way to replace the job of the fifth?"

"Sounds about right." Sam glanced back at the computer screen. "Mortan looks like he isn't going to be any help, not if his scythe only extracts a soul or consciousness from its ectoplasm. The other three could probably help though . . ."

"What are you two even talking about? Who's Phantom?"

Ms. Fenton looked thoughtful. "Alright, so we know that Clockwork controls time and Mortan controls death. Sonadora controls dreams. So what does that leave for Faberan?"

Sam scanned the document again. "It says something about molding ectoplasm, so I guess he controls ghost's powers or physical form."

Tucker sighed in frustration. "If you're not going to clue me in on what you're planning, I might as well leave."

"Faberan seems like a good place to start, since he seems to have the most control over ghosts."

Once again, Tucker found himself shoved back into the chair after a failed escape attempt. "Hey!"

"So, what? Have him take away all their powers and let them loose in the Ghost Zone?"

"No, they'd probably just develop their powers all over again. That would defeat the purpose. What if he just molded the ectoplasm into unbreakable chains?"

"No good. Another ghost could probably help them out of it."

Tucker let his head fall against the keyboard. "I give up. I seriously give up."

* * *

Wow. I haven't updated in forever. I'm really sorry about that, but by the time I decided to try and write another chapter NaNoWriMo was upon me. I won this year, however, so I'm pleased.

Anyway, I'm chopping off some of the boring or irrelevant chapters so that I can finish this up quicker. I have another couple of fanfics which I promised myself I wouldn't post until one of my two series is finished. One of the new fics is for the Case Closed fandom, by the way. It amazes me how many of DP fans are also fans of CC/DC. It doesn't make any logical sense, but I'm not complaining. I actually want to do research to see what percent of people who write DP also write CC/DC and vice versa. We'll see if I ever get around to that.

Review if you're a fan of Case Closed, or if you just want to say hi, or whatever. Many thanks to my wonderful beta-fish doodlekitt, who now draws me funny pictures of fish and snowglobes on my rough drafts.

-Gryph


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